


Summer Cold

by notallballs (notallbees)



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Always a Different Sex, Alternate Universe - Gender Changes, Developing Relationship, F/F, Fluff, Gender or Sex Swap, Rule 63, Sickfic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-20
Updated: 2021-03-20
Packaged: 2021-03-26 02:48:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,094
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30099153
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/notallbees/pseuds/notallballs
Summary: Kei blinked up at the ceiling. She was too hot and her head was too stuffy to let her get to sleep. She coughed feebly, and thought about getting up to fetch some ice from the freezer to soothe her throat, before remembering that she'd used it all up.She was idly wondering if she could find someone to bring her more when there was a knock at her apartment door.Kei gets sick, and her girlfriend comes over to take care of her.
Relationships: Kuroo Tetsurou/Tsukishima Kei
Comments: 2
Kudos: 39
Collections: Haikyuu!! Volleygirls





	Summer Cold

**Author's Note:**

> I was just glancing through my spreadsheet of posted works and realised I never got around to posting this zine piece!
> 
> This was a collab I did with [beanjournal](https://twitter.com/beanjournal) back in August 2019 for the kurotsuki sweets zine!

There was, Kei reflected, as she lay on top of her bed surrounded by a raft of used tissues, absolutely nothing worse than having a summer cold. Her only consolation was that Kuroo hadn't seen her like this. Kei caught a cold at least once a season, but she'd somehow made it through their two year relationship without letting Kuroo see her at her absolute worst. 

Kei blinked up at the ceiling. She was too hot and her head was too stuffy to let her get to sleep. She coughed feebly, and thought about getting up to fetch some ice from the freezer to soothe her throat, before remembering that she'd used it all up. 

She was idly wondering if she could find someone to bring her more when there was a knock at her apartment door. Kei struggled up from her bed and glared at the door. Nobody ever knocked on her door, except her neighbour who was always letting his cats out into the hallway and then losing them. Kei didn't particularly feel like having another fruitless conversation about her neighbour's cats, but as she flopped back onto her bed again, there was another, more insistent knock.

"Tsukki!" yelled a very familiar voice. "Tsukki, it's me! I'm coming in, okay?"

Kei bolted upright again, which she regretted moments later when her head began to pound. "Kuroo?" she hissed, as the door opened. 

"Oh, good, you're here!" Kuroo called out. She stopped to slip off her shoes, and Kei could picture her lining them up neatly, the way Kei liked. Then she padded barefoot along the hallway. 

Kei remembered too late the state she was in, and snatched a blanket up around herself just as Kuroo stuck her head into Kei's room. "Hey."

Kei blinked at her. "What're you—" She paused when her voice came out as a whisper, and coughed into her fist. "What're you doing here?" she said, her voice marginally more audible on the second attempt. "I told you not to come."

"You said you were sick," Kuroo said, walking over to her, and perching herself on the end of the bed. "Of course I came."

Tired and belligerent, Kei just glared at her. "But I told you not to," she repeated. She was far too conscious of the dark circles under her eyes, her chapped lips and red nose, and the fact that she hadn't yet brushed her teeth that morning. She'd been wearing the same top for three days, and the same underwear since yesterday; not to mention, she was still surrounded by drifts of dirty tissues, and her bedside table was full to overflowing with dirty cups and bowls. Annoyance surged in her gut, and her face warmed with indignation. "I specifically said not to come. Are you stupid, or just totally ignorant?"

Kuroo didn't seem bothered by her bad temper. "Do you want your present or not?"

Kei folded her arms, and glared. 

"Yes or no," Kuroo said, lifting the bag and waving it around teasingly. "Or should I just throw it out?"

"I don't know," Kei muttered eventually. "What is it?" 

Kuroo grinned. "Close your eyes."

"I don't like surprises," Kei reminded her. 

"Humour me," Kuroo said, smirking. 

Sighing, Kei closed her eyes, leaving them open a crack so that she could peek. Kuroo pulled something out of the plastic carrier bag, and then reached for Kei's hand, and pressed a cool, plastic cup into her palm. It was full, and wet with condensation. She could feel ice cubes rattling around inside it. Against her will, a faint smile tugged at the corner of her mouth.

"There," Kuroo murmured, sounding smug. "That's better."

"Watch it," Kei muttered, but without heat. She opened her eyes properly, and blinked down at the oversized cup Kuroo had given her. "You brought me bubble tea."

Kuroo laughed under her breath, and reached up to run her fingers through her hair. "Well, uh—you sounded really miserable, so I wanted to cheer you up." 

Kei sniffed. "Oh." 

"...Are you crying?" Kuroo asked, peering at her.

"No!" Kei said, reaching out to push her away. "I have a cold. And make sure you stay at least three feet away. You being here is bad enough, I don't want you to get sick as well."

"Aw, Tsukki," Kuroo crooned. "You do care!" 

"Three feet," Kei said coldly. 

Kuroo just shook her head. "Nah," she said, swinging a knee over Kei's lap, and settling down beside her. She pressed a kiss to Kei's sweaty forehead, and passed her a straw. "I like it here." 

Kei told herself very firmly that her face was only warm because of the fever. Taking the straw from Kuroo, she stabbed it into the top of her cup with some satisfaction, and took a long, cool sip of the sweet tea. It soothed her throat instantly, and an involuntary smile chased across her mouth. 

"You're cute," Kuroo said, grinning at her. "Good?" 

"Mm." Kei nodded. "Thank you." 

Kuroo kissed her again, apparently totally unconcerned that she might catch Kei's cold herself, then she climbed off the other side of the bed and started to pick up Kei's used tissues.  
Glaring at her, Kei swallowed her mouthful, hesitating a moment to burst one of the mango pearls on her tongue, then spoke. 

"What are you doing?"

"Helping out," Kuroo said, picking up the wastepaper bin and shoving the tissues into it. 

Kei grimaced. "I really wish you wouldn't."

Kuroo laughed. "Too bad, it's happening."

Kei submitted reluctantly, settling back against her pillow to sip more of her tea. She was too hot to argue, and her headache was getting worse. She swallowed her mouthful, then pressed the cold cup against the side of her face, sighing at the relief it brought. Kuroo bustled around, first collecting all the tissues, then stacking up the empty cups and dishes by the sink. Kei could hear water running as Kuroo washed her hands, then the bed dipped when she returned. 

"I brought you some ice," Kuroo said, reaching over to press a cool towel against her forehead. "So drink up your tea."

"Why're you being so nice to me?" Kei murmured, staring up at her. 

Kuroo laughed again. "Why wouldn't I?" she asked, slouching down beside Kei. She was close enough to touch, but she had left a little space between them. "Did I get the right flavour?"

Kei nodded. Kuroo had remembered her favourite. She was good at little details like that. "Why bubble tea?" Kei asked.

"Ah, well…" Kuroo laughed and reached up to ruffle her own hair. "I guess I was thinking about our first date, just before you moved here. We got bubble tea then too."

"I remember. I was looking at universities." Kei blinked. "Was that really a date?"

Kuroo looked over at her. "Wasn't it?"

Kei frowned. "You never said it was a date."

"I held your hand!" Kuroo protested, half-laughing.

"I thought you were just being...you know," Kei said, gesturing with her cup. "You."

Kuroo's grin said that she knew exactly what Kei meant by that. Kei relaxed back against her pillow once more, her feverish mind slowly processing the realisation that she'd technically been dating Kuroo for several months longer than she'd realised. They hadn't started dating—so she thought—until midway through Kei's first year of university, and that was when they'd celebrated their anniversary for the past two years.

"Wait," Kei murmured, eyes widening. "Is that why you always bring me flowers in September?"

"Ah, well," Kuroo said, laughing. "I wouldn't have if I'd realised you didn't remember."

"I remember the date," Kei protested. "I just didn't realise it was a date until now."

Kuroo's soft laughter made the bed shake slightly. "Even the great Tsukishima Kei doesn't notice everything."

"Oh, shut up," Kei said without heat. "I was a little preoccupied."

"I'm teasing," Kuroo replied, watching her with a soft smile that made Kei's stomach go molten. She cut her eyes away and went back to her bubble tea with determination, while Kuroo continued to watch her. She had a similar look on her face to Kei's mother whenever Kei did well on a test or made a new friend. Kei did her best to ignore it, but Kuroo was never quiet for long. "Hey," she said after a couple of minutes, still watching Kei with a dopey smile. "How come you didn't want me to come and take care of you?"

Kei wrinkled her nose. "Look at me," she said, gesturing at herself. "I'm a mess. And besides, I can take care of myself just fine."

"I know," Kuroo said. "That doesn't mean you have to."

"But—why would you even want to?"

Kuroo huffed, her smile turning wry. "Well...that's kind of what you do when you love someone."

"Ugh," Kei said, but she knew that Kuroo was probably also thinking of the time a year earlier, when Kuroo had badly sprained her ankle, and Kei had stayed with her for a few days, helping her in and out of the shower, and downstairs to take a taxi to her classes. She'd been grateful to move out of Kuroo's flat after those five days of fetching and carrying, but a part of her had missed it too. 

"You know, it would be a lot easier to take care of each other if we lived in the same place," Kuroo said casually.

Kei huffed. "I know." She let herself think about it; despite her initial resistance, she felt a little better now that Kuroo was here, and when she forced herself to be rational about it, Kuroo had seen her in worse states than this once or twice. "Maybe we should."

"Yeah," Kuroo said, her laughter slightly forced. "That would be funny."

Kei sipped her tea. She burst two more mango pearls on her tongue, savouring the sweetness, then she watched Kuroo ruffle her hair again, and frowned. "Why would it be funny?" she asked. "You're right, it would be easier."

"Well, yeah—"

"And cheaper. This place drains most of my allowance."

Kuroo blinked at her. "Are you actually saying yes?"

"Are you actually asking?" Kei shot back.

"Of course I am!" Kuroo said, a faint flush colouring her cheeks.

Kei nodded. "Then, yes," she said, a faint smirk tugging the corner of her mouth. 

For several moments, Kuroo stared back at her. She looked as though she couldn't decide whether or not to believe it, and eventually she sighed and shook her head. "You're only agreeing because you've got a fever. I shouldn't have ambushed you with it."

"I'm saying yes," Kei said, frowning. 

Kuroo waved a dismissive hand. "You're just feeling nostalgic because I made you think about our first date."

"Nope," Kei said. 

"The tea!" Kuroo said, pointing at Kei's cup, which was now mostly ice and stray mango pearls. "It's because I remembered your favourite."

Kei shook her head. 

"Mistaken identity?" Kuroo said a little desperately.

"Kuroo." Kei put her drink down on her bedside table and rolled over to face her. "Why did you ask me if you don't want to live together?"

"I do!" Kuroo said, wide-eyed. At Kei's doubtful look, she grimaced, then laughed softly. "Sorry, I guess—I thought I'd have to talk you into it. You can be a little—prickly."

Kei raised an eyebrow. "Prickly?"

"Which I love, obviously," Kuroo said quickly. She grinned, and reached out to brush a curl of damp hair back from Kei's forehead. "I really want to live with you. I want to start our lives together. But if you need more time—"

"No," Kei said. She swallowed thickly, and searched Kuroo's face, watching her bite her bottom lip, the subtle movements of her eyes, the quirk of her eyebrow. Kuroo's words echoed around in Kei's head, filling her stomach with the most wonderful swooping sensation. "No, I—I want to start our lives together too," she murmured.

The smile that broke across Kuroo's face was blinding. "And you're definitely not just saying that because of the fever?" she whispered.

Kei shook her head.

"I really want to kiss you now," Kuroo admitted, still beaming. 

"Three feet," Kei reminded her.

Sighing, Kuroo reached down for Kei's hand. She lifted it to her face, and kissed the base of Kei's palm. "Hurry up and get better then," she said softly. "I can't wait."

Kei grinned, suddenly not caring that her head ached, or that her sinuses were blocked. She squeezed Kuroo's fingers tightly. "Me neither."

**Author's Note:**

> [find me on twitter](https://twitter.com/notallbees) | [read my haikyuu!! fic](https://archiveofourown.org/users/notallbees/works?fandom_id=758208)


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